Taylor Tuesday: I Remember It 'All Too Well'

"When I'm writing songs, I think for me my main goal is to write exactly what I'm feeling at the time that I'm feeling it. And if writing songs happens for me in the middle of the night, say between the hours of two and four a.m., chances are..chances are I'm trying to forget somebody. And when you're trying to forget somebody it's nearly impossible to write how you feel, because if you've every lost somebody you know that you're never just feeling one thing at a time. It's much more complicated than that. And when I was writing this song I decided...I decided maybe instead of writing how I felt maybe it would be better to write the story of what happened from beginning to end, because I remembered it all too well."

-Taylor Swift

It's rare that I can listen to a song for months on end, on repeat, without getting sick of it. I've had songs that have come and gone in my life as favourites, but none have held the same, initial power over my mind for as long as this one has. There are moments in your life that you know you know are going to stay with you forever. When I heard Taylor Swift perform her song "All Too Well" at her concert back in June, I knew that was going to be one of mine.

 

Captivated, I took in every moment I could of that performance. Ever since that night I've spent endless hours watching any live version I can find on YouTube. Houston, New York, Los Angeles - I've seen them all. The one I've posted below is from the night I saw her perform in Toronto. I may be biased, but of all the versions I've seen, this one seems the most genuine and full of real emotion. I remember getting the impression that she was going through something difficult in her personal life when I saw her perform this, and I think that's a key reaction you want from your audience as a performer. Her introduction is worth watching, but if you are in a rush, the song itself starts at 1:35. If you're really pressed for time, my favourite part of this song is the bridge/second half, which starts just after 4:15. I know it's not the best quality, but I still hope you enjoy it as much as I do :).

 

This song tells a story that creates such vivid images and evokes a landslide of emotions flying at you from all angles. Bittersweet, the heartbreaking ballad is intertwined with these picturesque memories that Taylor experienced in a past relationship. Based on its powerful, vulnerable lyrics, this relationship clearly had a huge effect over Taylor's life. Originally a ten minute song, it was the first track recorded for the Red album, and it makes sense that Taylor would have used it as the centrepiece and starting point for the rest of the songs that followed. Although the relationship depicted in this song clearly had its difficulties and downfalls, the way in which it's told is nearly flawless. One of my favourite things in life is being able to view imperfections in a perfect way, and that's one of the many reasons why I've fallen in love with this song.

 

 

 

I'm not trying to convince you that this song is one of the best songs ever written, but I do think that Taylor Swift is a talented song writer, more than some people give her credit for. Many people know her for her upbeat, catchy hits. What people don't always get to hear are her ballads, which are often the hidden jems on her albums. Comparing all of her songs, the story and lyrics in this track are some of the best she's ever written.

In case you were curious, the Taylor Swift fanatic inside of me can confidently inform you that this song is about Jake Gyllenhaal. True, Taylor states that she never reveals who her songs are about; however, there are enough hints in this song to piece the puzzle together...

Photo album on the counter your cheeks were turning red.

You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed.

But you keep my old scarf from that very first week,

'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me.

I've had this post sitting in my drafts for some time now. Originally I was going to post pictures with all the lyrics to this song, but the last half is really the part I love most. Here is a little play by play of my favourite lyrics in the song:

Only Taylor would be able to string together such a unique flow of words to call somebody cold or harsh. I hear this line and it inspires me just thinking about how genius I find it. I'm going to stop myself now because I could literally think about these words forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can't get rid of it. Cause you remember it all too well.

 

There you have it. One of my favourite songs officially out in the open. I almost called it a guilty pleasure, but I don't feel the least bit embarrassed for being in love with it. I hope it has the same influence on some of you as it did on me. The power music can have over all of us is truly amazing. If this song isn't something you can relate to, then go listen to your favourite song, whatever that may be. Everyone has at least song that moves them, taking them back to a special place and time. This song just happens to be one of mine.

With love,

Ciara